Improvement in snap-hooks



"' To all whom 'it 'may concern:

" `JOSEPH A. ELETOZEER, o EEYoTA, MNNEso'rA. n

` Leners Pat'enzNo.106,o43, omeuugust 2, 1870.

IMPRO'VMENT IN' SNAP-BOOKS.

The Schedule referred foin these Letters Patent and making part of thesanie.

Be it known that yI, `JOSEPH A. FLETCHER, of

i Eyota, inthe county of Olmstedand State of Minnesota, have inventedcertain Improvements in Snap- Hooks, of which the following is a.specifica-tion, reference being had to tiheaccompanying drawing. Myinvention relates to snap-hooks; and `It consists `in forming-` the sameof a single pieceof i wire,` `bentin a peculiar form, so as to form ameans of holding it secure, and prevent it from slipping between thethumb and fingers, when beingcompressed to attach or release it, ashereinafter described.

`In the drawingl Figures 1 and 2 are plan views of my hook in dif`-ferent positions, and Figure 3 is a. view showing the manner ofoperating it.. 4 y In `constructing my snap-hook A, I takea piece ofwire of anysuitablesize, and bend it in the` form shown in all thefigures. y

When so bent,\it will beseen that the middle portion of the wire is madeto form a loop, ct, for permanent` attachment to any strap or otherarticle, and

' i that its ends are curved, so as to lap concentrically and form aneye, b, the .iplauev of which is at right angles with the plane oftheloop, the twist in the sides b eing made at c; that between the point ofthis-twist I and the loop the opposite sidesor legs of thewire formingthe hook are curved in directions opposite toV each other, formi-ng thecurves d, as shown inail the figures. y l y l The twist at c, as clearlyshown, is only suiiicieut to placethe curves `on the end `ot the wireforming the eye b at right angles with the loop a, as clearly shown iniig. 1.

To operate a snap-hook thus constructed, as will he seen in iig. 3, itis only necessary to grasp it so as tol place the curves (l between thethumb and forenger, and press them-together, whichfat once separatesthecnrves forming the eye of the hook; laterally, when a ring, B, orother object. to which it may be connected, is released; or in case thewire is very stili', and the hook cannot be readily operated" in this'way, it may, at thesame time, be turned so that the object within theeye may he brought tt bear against the opposite sides of its innerend,`and thus' assistin pressing them apart. l For 'most purposes myhook is designed to be easily operated by pressing the curved portionscl together with the hand, as shown.

I aniaware that hooks have heretofore been -made operating-on the samegeneral principle as mine, and therefore I do' not cla-im such, broadly,or irrespective of the special manner oi' constructing them; but,

Having fully described my improved hook,

A snap-hook, constructed substantiall y as described, when provided withthe shoulders d or outward bend in the side bars thereof, as shown, forthe.purpose of holding it more securely between the thumb and tingerwhen compressing the bars, as set forth. JOSEPH A. FLETCHER.

Witliesse's:

Jus. S. NILES, WESLY Romson.

